The Citadel Holds Off Tribe 34-31

September 09, 1990|By CARL ROSENBLATT Staff Writer

CHARLESTON, S.C. — If Saturday night's game against The Citadel is any indication of the type of excitement William and Mary football will generate this season, then no one on the Peninsula will want to miss a game.

In a game filled with three quarters of offensive explosion and one quarter of bend-but-don't-break defense, The Citadel defeated the Tribe 34-31 before 18,011 at Johnson Hagood Stadium. W&M's final sustained drive ended when quarterback Chris Hakel's pass was intercepted by Bulldogs strong safety Derek Moore.

"You have to credit The Citadel with executing well and running their wishbone well," Tribe coach Jimmye Laycock said. "We moved the ball, but you can't have those type of turnovers against them."

All 75 points were scored in the first three periods, before each team's defense finally began to somewhat recognize the other team's offensive plays.

W&M's defense virtually shut down the Bulldogs' potent wishbone offense in the fourth quarter, while the Tribe's best chance to tie or win the game came with just under two minutes remaining.

To start the drive, Hakel avioded what looked like a sure sack on a third-and-six play, and found wide receiver Ray Kingsfield with a bullet pass down to The Citadel 22. He then found Robert Green down to the 7 yard line, before committing the costly mistake.

On a pass play designed for the right sideline, Hakel threw into coverage and Bulldogs strong safety Derek Moore intercepted the pass to end W&M's threat. The Tribe had one 40-yard desperation pass with eight seconds left, but it was broken up as time expired.

After the first half ended in a 21-21 tie, the teams traded touchdowns to open the second half, with neither defense indicating that halftime adjustments would make any difference. A 44-yard kickoff return by Moore gave The Citadel excellent field position, and running back Bill Phillips took an option pitch from quarterback Jack Douglas (169 yards rushing) and ran 30 yards for the touchdown and a 28-21 Bulldogs' lead.

Mark Compher made a superb touchdown catch in the right corner of the endzone on the Tribe's next possession, though, and the score was tied at 28. Compher leaped and made the grab of Hakel's toss while somehow managing to keep one foot inbounds.

Bulldogs' backup quarterback Speizio Stowers, in for the temporarily injured Douglas, then kept the ball on an option-left for a 20-yard touchdown. Howard Barnard's extra-point attempt was blocked, and The Citadel led 34-28.

Dan Mueller then booted a 27-yard field goal for the Tribe to cut the deficit to 34-31, and the third quarter came to a close.

The first half was filled with end to end scoring, which included a 21-point outburst by the Bulldogs over a three-minute span. The Tribe was able to weather the storm, though, and responded strongly with two touchdowns before the end of the half to knot the score at 21-21.

W&M scored first on a very impressive drive which featured Green. Slashing runs of 18 and 15 yards highligted the drive for Green, and the Tribe eventually scored when Hakel found Kingsfield all alone in the right corner of the endzone from nine yards out for a 7-0 lead.

The Citadel came right back on the next series, however, and began to establish its wishbone attack. A quick handoff to running back Everette Sands went for 50 yards, and five plays later Sands scored on a 5-yard run to tie the game.

The Bulldogs quickly held the Tribe on its next series, and before you could say fooled on the option, quarterback Jack Douglas was outsprinting the W&M defense for 69 yards and a touchdown. Douglas' score was The Citadel's first play of the drive, and out them ahead 14-7.

The Bulldogs weren't through yet, as two plays later defensive end Lance Cook intercepted a pass from Hakel, who was clobbered as he released the ball. The Citadel took over at the Tribe 11, and went ahead 21-7 as the second quarter opened when Douglas scampered in from nine yards out.

W&M's defense looked virtually incapable of stopping the Bulldogs at this point, but proceeded to wake up during the rest of period. The Tribe held The Citadel scoreless until halftime, forced a Douglas fumble, and most importantly, was able to contain the Bulldogs' wishbone offense.